What to Do with Your Cat When You’re Away for the Holidays

1 What to Do with Your Cat When You’re Away for the Holidays

Carpool / chartered car / self-drive

Carpooling and chartered cars have one troublesome point: not everyone likes cats, or some passengers are allergic to cat hair. So when carpooling, communicate with other passengers in advance and confirm they can accept it before making further plans.

If fellow passengers cannot accept it, choose a chartered car or self-drive. One point to note with chartered cars: according to the Passenger Transport Rules, the driver has the right to refuse passengers who did not disclose they were carrying a pet, so inform the driver of the pet in advance.

Self-drive is the best option, but many safety issues need attention:

1. The cat should stay in a hard travel crate the whole time, secured with a seatbelt. For reference, see the cat crate ad image (not an ad, contact for removal). Unless absolutely necessary, do not secure the crate in the front passenger seat.

The crate must be large enough for the cat to move freely, such as turning around or standing; too small a space makes the cat nervous and increases stress.

2. Always keep the cat in the cabin. The trunk has poor air circulation and poses a serious suffocation risk.

3. If you need to leave the car midway, do not leave the cat alone in the car. In an enclosed space, temperature rises very fast and the cat can quickly fall ill or die. If you must leave, park in the shade or crack a window, but make sure the cat cannot escape.

Take a plane

Currently domestic airlines transport pets as cargo, not in the cabin or carriage with the owner, so confirm the cat’s health allows flying. Cats with high blood pressure, heart disease, or that are very timid are not recommended for planes or trains.

Generally airlines do not take responsibility for risks from pet transport, so if you choose to fly, be mentally prepared; if possible, pick a flight with in-cabin pet transport service (currently only Hainan Airlines offers in-cabin pet transport on domestic direct economy flights from Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Haikou, Changsha, Jinan, Qingdao, Dalian, Hefei, Kashgar, Taiyuan, Xi’an, Harbin, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Guilin, Shanghai Hongqiao, Nanning, but all suspended due to the pandemic).

01 Flying precautions

1. Communicate with the airport in advance about pet-carrying rules, such as quarantine requirements, or find a dedicated pet-shipping team.

2. Cats with high blood pressure or heart disease should consult a doctor before travel and follow medical advice.

3. Do not let the cat stay in an unpressurized cargo hold.

4. Air transport is risky; except for airline-caused issues, if the pet is injured, lost, ill, or dies, the airline bears no responsibility.

02 Documents required for air transport

Domestic flights

An Animal Quarantine Certificate issued by a county (district) level or above quarantine department, and an Immunization Certificate (vaccine booklet with the pet’s photo and hospital seal, owner and pet info, rabies vaccine sticker with hospital seal).

Notes:

1. The Animal Quarantine Certificate is valid for only 5 days; it must be used within this validity period.

2. The department and materials needed to obtain the Quarantine Certificate differ by city; go to the city’s government website and search ‘animal quarantine’ for processing inquiries.

3. The Immunization Certificate is obtained from the city’s animal disease control center or a hospital qualified for rabies vaccination. If the rabies vaccine was already given (within 21 days to 1 year; confirm with the hospital), bring the rabies vaccination record to the hospital to process it.

4. The Quarantine Certificate requires taking the pet to the local animal disease prevention center for testing; the test report is valid for a very short time and the Quarantine Certificate must be obtained within this validity.

International flights

Prepare the Health Certificate for Entry/Exit issued by the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, a health declaration, rabies immunity certificate, vaccination certificate, entry/transit permit, and other documents required by the entry/transit country.

For document requirements refer to the TRAVEL INFORMATION MANUAL, or consult the relevant embassy, or query via the country’s government website, and call the airline in advance to coordinate.

03 Shipping requirements

1. The crate must be sturdy material (metal, hard plastic, wood); ventilated on at least three sides to ensure airflow; the door must have a locking device and be solid metal; once closed, it must effectively prevent the pet from opening it.

2. Accessories must be secure and in good condition, with a stable base so the crate does not slide during transport.

3. Crate dimensions must comply with IATA live-animal regulations, ensuring enough space for the animal to stand or sit, turn around, and lie down normally; confirm specific dimensions with the airline in advance.

4. One cat per crate

5. A food and water device must be configured.

04 Packing requirements

1. Reinforce the crate door lock area with nylon zip ties.

2. Use a pet-crate protective net, sized so the cat’s head cannot fit through; the net should be sturdy, with the tie point avoiding the crate door and bottom, wrapping and tying the crate securely before packing.

3. The packing straps should be applied over the protective net in a ‘well’ (grid) shape, evenly spaced about 20–30 cm apart.

4. Do not pack the crate sides horizontally; side straps must be vertical and parallel. When packing, thread the strap through the door grid and protective grid, in one cell and out the next, evenly spaced, to fix the door, body, and net together.

5. Secure the food/water device

05 Airline-specific requirements

Air China

Phone: 95583

Animal shipping section on the official website:

http://www.airchina.com.cn/cn/service/avih/avih.shtml

1. Scope and risks:

(1) Transport in a pressurized cargo hold, but only for household-trained dogs and cats (short-nosed breeds and aggressive ones excluded); qualifying animals must be in an oxygenated hold as checked baggage. Some aircraft have no oxygen hold and are unsuitable; staff will contact you in advance.

(2) No pets in the cabin; all must be in the cargo hold. Only on China–US routes may guide dogs, hearing dogs, and emotional support dogs enter the cabin.

(3) Risks: no declared value available; animals unsuitable for cargo hold transport will not be accepted. Except for China Southern causes, if the animal is injured, lost, delayed, ill, or dies, China Southern bears no responsibility.

2. Small-animal transport rules:

(1) Apply for small-animal transport at least 48 hours (inclusive) before flight departure.

(2) Fill out the Small Animal Transport Reservation Application online and submit the service booking. Air China staff will contact you between 08:00 and 22:00 sorted by departure date. If no call or email within 1–4 hours of sending, call 95583.

(3) The website form is only an application; the service is not yet completed. The result is subject to staff reply. Once approved, staff send the completed application to your email; this is the only proof for shipping and must be printed as required.

(4) Bring a printed application, valid ID, and the animal quarantine certificate; arrive at the origin airport 120 minutes before departure to pay the fee and check in.

(5) After a flight change, promptly contact 95583 to confirm or reapply.

China Eastern

Phone: 95530

Animal shipping section on the official website:

http://www.ceair.com/guide2/cxzysx/tslkxz/xdwysfwxz/

1. Scope and risks:

(1) Transport in a pressurized cargo hold, but only for household-trained dogs and cats (short-nosed breeds and aggressive ones excluded, British Shorthair also excluded); qualifying animals must be in an oxygenated hold as checked baggage. Some aircraft have no oxygen hold and are unsuitable; staff will contact you in advance.

(2) Blind or deaf travelers with specially trained guide/hearing dogs may bring them into the cabin; others may not.

(3) Risks: no declared value available; animals unsuitable for cargo hold transport will not be accepted. Except for China Eastern causes, if the animal is injured, lost, delayed, ill, or dies, China Eastern bears no responsibility.

2. Small-animal transport rules:

(1) Apply for small-animal transport at least 48 hours (inclusive) before flight departure.

(2) Bring the relevant certificates to a China Eastern ticketing office, call 95530, or apply via the website or app; fill out the Small Animal Transport Reservation Application online and submit the service booking. Staff will contact you between 09:00 and 19:00 sorted by departure date. If no call or email within 4 hours of sending, call 95530.

(3) The website form is only an application; the service is not yet completed. The result is subject to staff reply. Once approved, staff send the completed application to your email; this is the only proof for shipping and must be printed as required.

(4) Bring a printed application, valid ID, and the animal quarantine certificate; arrive at the origin airport 120 minutes before departure to pay the fee and check in. Whether the animal is transported is finally confirmed on-site at the airport.

(5) After a flight change, reapply for this service.

China Southern

Phone: 95539

Animal shipping section on the official website:

https://www.csair.com/cn/tourguide/luggage_service/checked_luggage/live_animals/

Pandemic impact: currently Shijiazhuang, Beijing, Shanghai, Harbin, Changchun origin and destination flights, and all international (regional) flight small-animal transport services are suspended pending notice.

1. Scope and risks:

(1) Transport in an oxygenated hold is possible, but only qualifying animals (household cats, dogs, birds, other pet animals) may apply; short-nosed dogs and cats do not qualify; qualifying animals must be in an oxygenated hold as checked baggage. Some aircraft are unsuitable; staff will contact in advance.

(2) Only service dogs (assistance, hearing, guide dogs) may enter the cabin; other pets may not.

(3) Risks: no declared value available; animals unsuitable for cargo hold transport will not be accepted. Except for China Southern causes, if the animal is injured, lost, delayed, ill, or dies, China Southern bears no responsibility.

2. Small-animal transport rules:

(1) The passenger must propose small-animal transport when booking or buying the ticket, or at least 72 hours before departure, and may only be accepted after China Southern’s affirmative reply.

(2) The animal transported must be healthy, harmless, clean, odorless, and not pregnant.

(3) Each passenger may transport only one small animal or one pair of birds. One small animal in one crate; one pair of birds in one crate.

(4) Crate max size 40x60x100 cm, min 5x15x20 cm, max weight 32 kg, one animal per crate.

(5) On the travel day, the passenger must deliver the animal to the airport for shipping procedures 90 minutes before departure.

(6) For dog or cat shipping, the passenger must sign a small-animal transport disclaimer.

(7) The passenger shipping the animal is responsible for feeding, watering, and activities at each stop en route.

Hainan Airlines

Phone: 95339

Animal shipping section on the official website:

https://www.hnair.com/lvxingxinxi/tsgh/tyxdw/

Pandemic impact: affected by COVID-19, Hainan Airlines suspended in-cabin pet transport from Feb 2, 2020, pending notice.

1. Scope and risks:

(1) Only household cats and dogs qualify for cargo hold transport. Pets with ENT, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, respiratory, digestive diseases, or those operated on within 48 hours, plus timid, delicate, or heat/small-animal-environment-sensitive pets cannot be shipped; confirm with the airline whether the aircraft has an oxygen hold.

(2) In-cabin pet transport service exists, limited to domestic direct economy flights: currently only from Haikou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Changsha, Jinan, Qingdao, Xiamen, Hefei, Kashgar, Taiyuan, Xi’an, Harbin, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Guilin, Shanghai Hongqiao, Dalian, Nanning on domestic direct economy flights.

(3) Risks: declared value is available, requiring evidence (such as a pet purchase invoice) showing actual value over 100 yuan/kg; max declared value per passenger per shipment is 8000 RMB. Except for Hainan Airlines causes, if the animal is injured, lost, delayed, ill, or dies, Hainan Airlines bears no responsibility.

2. Small-animal transport rules:

(1) Reserve pet transport with Hainan Airlines 24 hours before departure. When booking, read and carefully fill out the Pet Transport Agreement, and bring the animal and crate, the agreement, and required documents to a Hainan Airlines ticketing office or authorized agent to book.

(2) Bring the pet and crate, the Pet Transport Agreement, and required documents to the Hainan Airlines check-in counter to process pet shipping.

(3) Each passenger may ship at most 2 pets (international flights follow the destination country’s rules; entering China limits to 1); 2 pets need separate packaging (from Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Shanxi, Jiangxi departure international flights, each person may take only 1 pet (1 dog or cat) out per trip).

Take a train

Train shipping follows relevant rules: pets can only ride in the baggage car; the required documents are the same as for planes — an Animal Quarantine Certificate (buy the train ticket first) and an Immunization Certificate.

Before boarding, consult the China Railway Express branch or origin station in advance to confirm whether the train has a baggage car and can ship pets.

After confirming, buy the ticket and obtain the Animal Quarantine Certificate; the origin and destination on the certificate must match the train station names. Note: high-speed trains (G/D) do not allow pet shipping.

2–3 hours before departure, go to the China Railway Express shipping office to get an escort slip; with the slip you can visit the furry child from time to time. After arrival, take the slip to the baggage room to bring the furry child home.

Leave at home

Leaving the cat alone at home, creating a comfortable, safe environment with proper temperature and air circulation is especially important.

Put away dangerous items in advance, such as plastics, buttons, and small things, to avoid the cat eating them; secure or unplug wires to prevent chewing.

If there are open doors, make sure to adjust the lock to be smooth, to avoid accidentally locking the cat in, causing starvation, thirst, or suffocation.

Check that windows are closed. If windows are not screened, firmly tell the friend helping that they must not open windows; screen the windows immediately upon return.

Food

For a cat alone at home, eating and drinking come first; prepare plenty of food and water. Prepare three times the amount for the time you’ll be away (7 days away = 21 days of supply).

If it normally eats wet food or raw food, during your absence it is best to switch to dry food, which is convenient and less perishable; prepare more water, and if the cat has a habit of playing with water, pour some in the sink where it won’t spill.

Litter

Like food, litter also needs three times the amount for the days away; place as many litter boxes as the room allows (if not enough boxes, use basins or small cartons).

Monitoring

Place one camera where the cat is often active, and one above the litter box (add more if needed), and check the feed from time to time so accidents can be handled promptly.

Spare key

Put away valuables in advance, and before leaving give the key to a trustworthy neighbor or relative/friend. If it is also a cat-owning friend, you can entrust them to come scoop litter, refill food, and change water.

Collar

If the cat normally wears a collar or other ornaments, remove them when you are away to avoid the cat being strangled.

Boarding

If not absolutely necessary, boarding is not recommended.

If you must board, board at a hospital, which is relatively formal and offers better safety assurance.

01 Pre-boarding preparation

1. Vaccination and deworming done per protocol, to minimize the chance of infectious disease during boarding.

2. Check the cat’s condition — any weight change, normal appetite, etc.

3. Prepare food (preferably unopened) and regular medication.

4. A pre-boarding physical exam report is best.

02 Boarding hospital review

1. It must be formal, preferably a sizable hospital.

2. Whether the hospital’s disinfection measures are thorough and its reputation good.

3. Has a separate feline ward with a professional feline doctor. Cats and dogs mixed is the least acceptable — dog barking can cause strong discomfort to cats.

Item preparation

01 FELIWAY pheromone

Pheromones effectively reduce feline stress and ease emotions; the Feliway spray is recommended for convenience.

Spray some pheromone in the crate and car; if possible, also at home in advance, but do not spray directly at the cat.

02 Items familiar to the cat

Any item works — blanket, towel, cat bed, scratching post, toys — as long as it is something the cat used and carries its scent.

If there is no dedicated cat bed at home, a travel crate can serve as a temporary bed.

03 Daily supplies

Based on the cat’s daily use, prepare enough food and litter. Prepare three times the amount for the days away (7 days away = 21 days of supply). If you run out of litter, you can use sand or rice with volcanic rock as temporary litter.

A litter box can be substituted with a basin / hard carton / rice bucket / storage box, but best to use their familiar litter box with their own scent.

04 Disinfection supplies

Dilute Lu’an Kang disinfectant per the instructions into a spray bottle and disinfect regularly to avoid picking up contagious viruses.

PS: after dilution Lu’an Kang is colorless; if it has a strong color, the ratio may be wrong and it should be re-diluted.

05 Medication

Vomiting: omeprazole / famotidine, slippery elm powder, glutamine

Diarrhea: Saccharomyces boulardii, VB12, metronidazole,

Constipation: lactulose

Sedatives: gabapentin, Zylkene, Feliway

Wound care: iodine